Picture hanger



NOV. 30, 1948. c, o, R N 2,454,813

PICTURE HANGER Filed Nov. 27, 1944 I N VEN TOR.

\g zz; m ah M @[azvom Patented Nov. 30, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT oer-ice v Charles 0. Larson, Sterling, 111. Application November 27, 1944, Serial No. 565,331

This invention relates to picture hangers.

Among the objects of the present invention are to provide a simple, economical, strong and durable picture hanger formed in such a manner as to provide means for suspending a flexible cord connected to a picture or other object to be hung, and in such a manner that the cord is wedgingly held, and wherein the picture hanger is provided with integrally formed means for frictionally contacting the shank of a nail for holding the nail assembled to the fastener and for likewise effectively positioning the nail and guiding it so that it will nail with respect to the picture hanger and for guiding its entry into the wall at a predetermined exact angle; to provide a picture hanger formed of an integral blank of sheet metal suitably bent, bumped, slotted and formed, to provide a reinforcing, angularly disposed shoulder provided with a nail receiving aperture and associated guide wall portions adapted to guidingly" direct the shank of the nail as the nail is driven into the supporting wall in such a manner as to prevent the breaking of the plaster of the wall and in such a manner as to compel the nail to enter the wall at the correct angle for hanging and supporting the picture hanger relatively to the wall; to provide these and other objects of invention, as will be apparent from a perusal of the following specification when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, where- Figure l is a perspective view of the front of a picture when hung from the wall by my improved picture hanger; I

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the hanger;

Figure 3 is a side view taken in cross section;

, and

Figure 4 is a view of the blank before forming.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, the picture hanger is adapted to be secured to a wall 2 for supporting a picture or other article 4 by means of cords 6 attached as at 8 and ill to the picture. The hanger itself comprises a preferably sheet metal clip or blank formed in the manner shown in Figure 2 to provide a lower portion [2 suitably slitted as at l4 and Hi to providean outstanding tongue l8 which at its junction with the body of metal l2 provides a wedging grip for the cord 6. In addition, the upper portion of the sheet metal body of the fastener, towit that portion opposite the portion I2, is preferably, bumped or formed outwardly in a V-shaped bent portion as at 20, the wall portion 22 thereof being formed substantially at right angles to the wall'portion 24 of this outwardly bumped portion 120. The

7 Claims. (01. 243-32) outwardly bumped portion 20 extends completely across the width of the upper portion 26 of the fastener. Attention is called specifically to the fact that the lower portion 28 of the wall portion 24 is formedat an angleto the portion 24.

In addition,.the wall portion 22 of the bumped up portion of the fastener is slit along the lines 30 and 32 to provide a downwardly bent tongue 34 having a free end 36. Bending'down of this tongue 34 provides a nail hole 38. The bottom edge 40 of the nail hole thus formed lies flush with the plane of the surface 28 formed by a portion of the bumped up wall 24, and the end portion 36 of the tongue 34 is bent into the planes of the portions I2 and 26 of the fastener in such a manner as to provide a guideway or opening 42 through which the shank of the nail passes. The edge 36 ofthe tongue 34 is adapted frictionally to grip the shank of the nail directly opposite the guiding wall portion 28 formed on the underside of the outwardly bumpedfastener portion 2|]. By means of this construction the wall portion 28 and the sharp edge 36 of the-tongue are adapted frictionally to engage the shank of-the nail to hold .it in assembled relation .to the. fastener for packaging and 'for holding. the. same in position when thenail isxbeing driven into the wall as the bracket is positioned flatv against the side of the wall,.and furthermore this wall guiding portion 28 of the nail is preferably formed by slightly bumping the metal of the fastener as at 44 in a direction transversely of the bumped out portion 20 to form a relatively shallow, substantially triangular guide 46 in the rear face of the fastener, and into which groove the shank of the nail passes as shown by the dotted line 50 in Figure 3. The lower edge 36 of the tongue is just opposite this groove and frictionally cooperates therewith togrip the shank of the nail not only to effectlthe assemblyof the-nail to thefastener, but to guide'the nail at the proper angle formed by the wall portion 28 so that it. enters the wall at the angle shown in' Figure 3. Thus the lower edge 4010f the slitted portion 30-32 formed for the tongue, the groove 5B, and the lower edge 36 of the tongue form three contacting wall portions of the fastener for guidin the shank of the nail into the wall, and in addition likewise hold the shank of the-nail assembled at the .proper angle to the fastener for packaging and for positioning the nail .relatively to the fastener'for drivingintothe wall; '1' j It will also be seen that by reason ofthe p'osi- -tion of the wallsZZ and 24' of the bumped out portion 20, great .ruggednessand" strength is given to the fastener as a means for mounting the nail and permitting it to be driven into the wall and' for holding the? fastener in the wall and for carrying the weight of the picture hung from theslitted tongue I8 therebelow.

Obviously the invention is not limited to the specifid-details of construction disclosed herein but is capable of other modifications and changes without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended Havingtlius described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A picture hanger comprising a fastener of relatively fiat sheet metal of a single and uniform thickness throughout, said fastener being formed adjacent one end means: for suspending the cord of a picture to be hung, a part of the fastener spaced from said means "being bumped or formed outwardly transversely of its length Lin angular formation, the fastener on either side of the bumped out portion presenting -fiat surfaces in a common plane, one of the inner walls: 30f the substantially \hshaped bumped cut portion providing. a nail shank guiding surface, the ctherangularlyidisposed wall :of the V shaped humped out'por tion being slit'ted toprovidee free ton'gderand ainail receiving slot or hole, one end of :the slot lying substantially :in the plane pi the nail guiding surface, and :the edge (if the tiree tongue being kfent downwardly into substantially the same plane astlr'e common plane of the hat portions with its edge :lying opposite the aforesaid Wall 'guiding' surface} andspaced therefrom a :distance sligl'itlyiess than the shank of the nail r :ceived through the :nail opening whereby the "shank of said 218.11 is supported rfirst hy one end of the nail sl'o't end by the snail guiding surface and by the ioppositely located edge of the free tongue, said nail contacting; portions: of the biastener vserving as guides for guiding the nail at the "proper angle into the wall.

' 12. A picture hanger comprising ca. blank of sheet metal having its upposed flat surfaces formed in a common cplane, .said blank being provided with :means lforlhang'ing :a :cord therefifom, the blank intermediateiits ends and :re-

moved from said retard-hanging portion being humped outwardlyfto provide av substantially rhol- 'Iow ipartion the Lot which are :of single that outwardly bumped. wall iof the 'fhollowportionznearer the adjacent: end of the fax;- teneribeing fonned'wither slotanda tongue, the inner end of the :slot beingzsubstantiallyat-the intermedieitepart hfthebumped =nut portion, said slot .fomi'ing Ia nail meceivmgshole and the other wall ?of theibump'ed out portion atiits' inner side being dcn'med with'anrmwardly forme'dgrodve :the wallet whichlies FIlushWithLtI'Ie edge iofxthe nail hole, 'wherebyrsaid :edge'o'fthe nail ihole and'said Fgroove :form spaced l'guides ithe :s-hazn-k of the .nail, the time end Sof -the tongue being bent into position such Zthat itilies opposite isa'id groove and gripp'ingly engages the shank of the nail.

*3. A picture hanger comprising :an elongated hlazniktofsl'reet .metal :having opposed fiat surfaces iiormediin a common plane, :thermetal adjacent one :ezrdzheing providedwith means for holding a picture to :be hung xand the metal opposite the nther :end :being' provided '-'-with aoutwardly ibumped zportion stormed cf 2, thickness of metal, one of theangnlarwallsnf thelbumped-iout portion being :slitted to provide ea nail lime :and hike and 11f the slot forming-a Iree :tongue iactring ras in mail :tree titongue i being bent inwardly to form with a portion of the other wall of the outwardly-bumped portion, gripping means for gripping the shank of the nail to hold the nail assembled to the fastener.

4. A picture hanger comprising a blank of sheet metal having means for supporting a cord therefrom, said sheet metal being cut to provide a slot forming a free tongue, said slot forming a shank nail guiding portion, the edge of the free ftongueibeing bent in opposition to the shank nail guiding'portion a sufiicient distance apart to grip the shank of the nail to hold the nail to the fas- 'tener.

5.,.'A1oicture hanger comprising a sheet metal blank having flat ends lying in a common plane whereby to be positioned against the flat surface of a wall,xsaicl hanger having means to receive the cord of a picture to be hung, said blank :being bumped outwardly to provide a hollow, substantially V-shaped, transversely extending, bumped out portion, one'of'the angularly disposed walls of :the bumped out portion being formed on .its interior surface with a nail guiding surface and the other wall of the bumped out portion being slotted to provide a nail hole, the slot forming a free tongue, the free tongue being bent inwardly in spaced relation to the nail guiding surface slightly less than the diameter of the shank of the nail "for frictionally gripping the nail to hold it as- :sembledto the fastener.

6. A sheet metal picture hanger comprising a blank having its opposed ends fiat and lying in substantially the same plane and formed of uniform thickness, one of the ends having means to support a flexible cord or the like, the blank remote from said means being bumped outwardly 'to provide a hollow rigidifying portion of single thickness, the inner walls of which are angularly disposed to form with the plane of the base a sort of triangulars'haped hollow portion in cross section, that wall of said hollow portion more remote from the free cord supporting means being slitted to provide a free tongue and a slot, the end of the slot being disposed substan'tially at the apex of the angularly disposed wall portions thus to provide a nail hole, the oppositeWall of the bumped outportion having a nail 'shan'k guiding Wallportion disposed substan- "tially'flush with the edge of the nail slot, and being grooved on' its "underside to receive and guide the shank of the nail, said free tongue be- 'ing bent inwardly in spaced relation from said groove t'oprovide a nail shank guiding and gripping portion in conjunction with the end of the nail slot.

l. A picture hanger comprising a blank of sheet metal formed of a single thickness of metal and havingits ropposedends lying in a common plane, the blank being provided with means to hang a oom, the blank being bumped outwardly of said common plane and transversely of its width'to provide a substantially hollow inverted V-shaped portion, that wall of the hollow V- -shaped portion "nearest the cord hanging means being bumped centrally and transversely of the :length of said Wall to provide a relatively shallow groove on the'interior portion of the wall ad- 'j'acentits junction with the fiat undersurface of :thefastener, the other wall of the substantially \fi-sh'aped, bumpedout portion. being slitted cenmany and :inta direction transversely of its width Lto:provide1ta:slot iormingra' free tongue, the slot being disposed at the apex of the bumped out portion-and the edge/of the slot lyingin the plane :of:thegrooved"portion'wherebyto provide spaced REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in'the like of this patent:

Number UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Dobbs et al. Mar. 16, 1875 Underwood Dec. 25, 1923 Tate et al. Jan. 11, 1938 

